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Merganetta
Plate 1 of 8. (c) joseluisblazquez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · via iNaturalist

Merganetta

The torrent duck (Merganetta armata) is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is the only member of the genus Merganetta. It is placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae after the "perching duck" assemblage to which it was formerly assigned was dissolved because it turned out to be paraphyletic.

This 43–46-centimetre (17–18 in) long species is a resident breeder in the Andes of South America, nesting in small waterside caves and other sheltered spots. Like the blue duck, it holds territories on fast-flowing mountain rivers, usually above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). It is a powerful swimmer and diver even in white water but is reluctant to fly more than short distances. It is not particularly wary when located.

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1 branches of this genus, most-observed first · about 1 known species

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Recorded sightings

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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.

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Every page naming Merganetta in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →

This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 7167.